Karen Gerstner

Karen Sue Gerstner, 76, of Chariton passed away on January 7, 2022, at Lucas County Health Center. Services will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made in Karen’s honor to her family.

Karen Sue Gerstner was born on September 4, 1945, to Lloyd and Elda Shuff Worrell in Hutchinson, Kansas. She graduated from Haven Rural High School with the class of 1963. After high school she moved to Colorado. She met Robert Gerstner and they married in 1965 and were blessed with three children: Robert Shane, Sandy, and Jody. They later divorced. In 1998, Karen and the children moved to Iowa where she has called home since.

She was first and most importantly a homemaker, however she had worked as a bartender, switchboard operator, Assistant Manager at Dollar Store, and a Med Aid at Crest Service. She always put others first while being selfless and loving, making sure that everyone else was taken care of before she would worry about herself. A very loving and strong woman who loved her family and did whatever she had to do to take care of all of them. She loved spoiling her granddaughter, and her children.

Karen was a cowgirl at heart, she had a love for horses, she grew up riding horses and her love just grew deeper through her life. She enjoyed watching westerns and reading. Spending time with the family camping, fishing, and water skiing.

She is deeply missed by her daughter, Sandy Gerstner; son, Robert Gerstner; granddaughters, Kierra Halferty (Wyatt Boggs) and Katie Lee; siblings, Sherry Johnson (Roy Johnson) and Mike Worrell (Daynene Worrell).

Karen was preceded in death by her daughter, Jody Gerstner; grandson, Mike Murry; and sister, Judy Haag.